While men and women are both considered to be more capable as they get older, only women bear the brunt of being seen as “less warm” as they age, new research has found. This series of studies is reportedly the first to look at both gender and age to determine how perceptions of women and men differ. “It’s just stunning. . . These stereotypes are so hard-wired and deeply entrenched that they come out even when absolutely identical information is provided about a man and a woman,” Jennifer Chatman, Distinguished Professor of Management at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, said. In an analysis of professors’ evaluations, female professors witnessed a decline as they moved from their 30s to 40s, hitting an all-time low around the age of 47. All this while, the evaluation of male professors remained consistent. Interestingly, after the age of 47, the evaluations for women increased again, becoming equal with those of men around the early 60s. “At that point, there are different stereotypes of women, and they may benefit from being seen as more grandmotherly,” said Laura Kray, faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership at Berkeley Haas and an author of the study.
Women around the age of mid 30s to late 40s also face what is called “the motherhood penalty,” where assumptions around parenting duties lead people to believe women are less committed to their careers than men. This has several repercussions, most particularly evident in hiring, promotions and wages. Women executives further pointed out that they face “hyper-scrutiny” and “scepticism” which harks back to perceptions of likeability versus agency. Gendered networks in the workplace, with men gaining greater access to senior leaders, become cemented mid-career, pose another difficulty for working women. Negative perceptions of women in middle-age can also be linked to stereotypes around menopause. In 2008, psychologists studied the attitudes of people towards women in different reproductive stages. They found that while the pregnant woman or the woman with the baby were thought about in glowing terms, menopausal women were associated with negative emotions, illness and ageing.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “How Stereotypes Affect Middle-Aged Women’s Careers”, by Ananya Singh, The Swaddle]
If professors’ evaluations are the most important criteria in awarding promotions, then which of the following would be the most likely outcome, based on the information provided in the passage?
Correct Answer :
Male professors are likely to be promoted at an even rate throughout their career, while women professors would experience a lower likelihood of promotion in the mid-career stage.
Solution :
Correct Answer: Male professors are likely to be promoted at an even rate throughout their career, while women professors would experience a lower likelihood of promotion in the mid-career stage.
Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Analyze the Question Premise:
The question asks us to determine the most likely outcome regarding promotions, assuming that professors' evaluations are the most important criteria for awarding promotions.
2. Examine the Passages Findings on Evaluations:
- Male Professors: The passage explicitly states, "the evaluation of male professors remained consistent" across their careers.
- Female Professors: In contrast, the passage notes that female professors witnessed a decline in evaluations as they moved from their 30s to 40s, reaching an "all-time low around the age of 47" before recovering in their 60s.
3. Synthesize and Draw the Logical Conclusion:
- Since male evaluations remain consistent throughout their careers, their likelihood of receiving promotions based on those evaluations will also remain even/consistent throughout their careers.
- Since female evaluations drop significantly in their mid-career stage (30s to 40s / around age 47), their likelihood of being promoted during this mid-career period will accordingly be lower.
Thus, it logically follows that male professors are likely to be promoted at an even rate throughout their career, while female professors experience a lower likelihood of promotion in the mid-career stage.
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